House of Commons Commission

Palace of Westminster: Fire Prevention

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been spent on the (a) purchase and (b) installation of fire doors in the Palace of Westminster since 2010.

Sir Charles Walker: The House of Commons Commission has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Education

Care Leavers: Racial Discrimination

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Barnardo’s report entitled Double discrimination: Black care-experienced young adults navigating the criminal justice system, published on 21 September 2023.

David Johnston: The department recognises that children in care are more likely than their peers in the general population to have contact with the criminal justice system. That is why, in 2018, the department published a joint national protocol with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of looked after children and care leavers. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-protocol-on-reducing-criminalisation-of-looked-after-children. The department is also taking action on the risk factors that can lead to criminal behaviour, including through our work to improve school attendance. Through the care leaver Ministerial Board, the department is working closely with MoJ to improve support and outcomes of care-experienced people in the criminal justice system. MoJ is currently updating its strategy for care-experienced people, to ensure that their time in the criminal justice system is used to support them to lead crime-free lives. The strategy will include a focus on race and its role in shaping the experiences and outcomes of those with care experience and will link to wider departmental efforts to address racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system. MoJ is aiming to publish this strategy in 2024.

Special Educational Needs: Admissions

Dehenna Davison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is an adequate provision of SEND places in schools.

David Johnston: The department recognises the importance of accessing timely and effective support to improving the experiences of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their families. Nationally, 17% of pupils are identified with some form of SEN, three quarters of whom receive SEN support from their mainstream school, funded from its own resources. Local authorities must ensure that there are sufficient good school places for all pupils, including special schools and those with SEND. They are statutorily required to keep the services and provision for children and young people with SEND under review, including its sufficiency, working with parents, young people, and providers. To support local authorities to meet this duty, in the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, the department committed to investing £2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025 to fund new special and AP places and improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND, including announcing 41 new special free schools. This funding represents a significant, transformational investment in new high needs provision. As part of this investment, the department has published over £1.5 billion of High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. Of this, Durham has been allocated a total of £11.2 million. Local authorities can use their allocations to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings such as specialist post-16 institutions, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. This investment is on top of the department’s ongoing delivery of new special and AP free schools. Through these reforms, the department wants to ensure that placements for children and young people with SEND are sufficient to meet need, allowing them to access the right support, in the right setting, at the right time.

Students: Energy

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of increases in energy prices on university students living in private rented accommodation.

Robert Halfon: The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2021/22 suggests that a third of students live in privately rented accommodation with friends. Over the period 2022/23 to 2024/25, the government will have provided support worth £104 billion to help families throughout the UK with the cost of living including to meet increased household energy costs. This will have eased the pressure on family budgets and so will in turn enabled many families to provide additional support to their children in higher education to help them meet increased living costs.Students in private rented accommodation who are provided energy through a commercial entity may also benefit from the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), which provides a baseline discount on energy bills for non-domestic users locked into high fixed price tariffs. Any non-domestic user who benefits from the EBDS must ensure the benefit is passed through to the end user, such as students in private rented accommodation.More information on students’ expenditure on housing can be found in the 2021/22 Student Income and Expenditure Survey which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-income-and-expenditure-survey-2021-to-2022.

T-levels

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2023 to Question 232 on T-levels: Hounslow and the Answer of 14 November 2023 to Question 814 on T-levels: Feltham and Heston, whether her Department holds data on student T-Level starts at the (a) local authority and (b) constituency level.

Robert Halfon: The department does hold the data to derive student T Level starts at the local authority and parliamentary constituency level but does not currently publish data at this level. Breakdowns of T Level attainment by local authority will be published as part of the ‘Compare School and College Performance’ data in 2025.

Multiply Programme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse was of the Multiply programme in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Robert Halfon: The government is committed to supporting people to climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future.To enable this, the department recognises the importance of numeracy skills, both in work and everyday life. Securing good levels of numeracy increases individual productivity, improves earnings and employment opportunities, supports economic growth, and breaks cycles of intergenerational economic and social disadvantage. That is why, in 2022 the department launched Multiply, the government’s programme for improving adult numeracy, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is the government’s flagship fund for supporting people and places across the UK. Up to £270 million is available in England, and up to £160 million in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to deliver innovative initiatives to tackle poor adult numeracy. The department is responsible for delivery of the Multiply programme in England.The below is a table of Multiply Programme spending by financial year (England only).2021/222022/23£0.32 million£51.88 millionThe spend figures for the 2023/24 financial year will be available in June 2024.Delivery is now well underway. Multiply provision is available in all 81 local areas in England that were allocated funding, with over 52,000 course starts by July 2023.A core component of the Multiply programme is to improve the evidence base on “what works” in tackling low adult numeracy, and the department will run a full evaluation of the programme, including a series of randomised control trials.

Apprentices: Employment Agencies

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) starts and (b) completions of flexi-job apprenticeships there have been through the flexi-job apprenticeship agencies register since February 2022.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release, Cash boost to create new flexible approach to apprenticeships, published on 3 August 2021, what proportion of the fund to support flexi-job apprenticeship agencies has been spent.

Robert Halfon: The department is supporting sectors with short-term project-based work through flexi-Job apprenticeship agencies (FJAAs), which allow apprentices to work with different host employers, and on a range of projects, to gain the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in their chosen field. In July 2021, the government created a £7 million fund to support employers set up and expand FJAAs. £4.5 million of grant allocations have been awarded, and 97% (£4.3 million) of the grant allocations have been spent. There are now 44 FJAAs supporting the delivery of apprenticeships in sectors such as creative, construction, agriculture and digital, across every region in England. The current register of FJAAs can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexi-job-apprenticeships/flexi-job-apprenticeship-agencies. The number of apprenticeship starts through FJAAs can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships, with the latest data to be published on 25 January 2024. The department intends to publish data on achievements by FJAAs in due course.

Department for Education: Local Government Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of her Department's capital grants to local authorities have been spent on internal (a) administration and (b) other management costs in each financial year since 2015-16.

Damian Hinds: The department’s main capital grants to local authorities are primarily used to support local authorities to provide sufficient childcare, mainstream and high needs school places, as well as keeping the school buildings that they are responsible for safe and well maintained. These capital allocations are issued via a Section 31 grant. The funding is not ringfenced, subject to the conditions set out in published Grant Determination Letters and can only be used for capital purposes. Local authorities provide assurance that the funding has been spent in line with terms and conditions. These grants go directly to local authorities and exclude the department’s administrative costs.

Schools: Defibrillators

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on ensuring that schools in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England have defibrillators.

Damian Hinds: Millions of children in England now have access to life-saving defibrillators in every state school in England. This has met our commitment to ensure every state school in England has a lifesaving defibrillator. 20,376 defibrillators have successfully been delivered to 17,862 state-funded schools.

Free School Meals

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her department has made a recent assessment of the potential (a) economic, (b) health and (c) educational benefits of extending eligibility for free school meals.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential implications for her policies on provision of free school meals of universal school meals roll-out in (a) London, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to help tackle cost pressures on (a) parents and (b) schools who are paying to provide school meals.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will raise the threshold for receipt of free school meals.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 14 June 2023 to Question 187978 on Free School Meals, how her Department keeps eligibility for free school meals under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies on free school meals of the briefing by the Child Poverty Action Group entitled Free school meals: third of kids in poverty miss out, published in July 2023.

Damian Hinds: This government has extended Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century. Around 2 million pupils are currently eligible for benefits-related FSM. Close to 1.3 million additional infants receive free and nutritious meals under the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) policy. Taken together, over one third of pupils are receiving free meals.The department invests over £1 billion in support of these policies. Schools are currently funded at £480 per eligible pupil per year as a factor value within the National Funding Formula. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. For UIFSM, schools receive £2.53 per meal per child. This was uplifted from £2.41 for the current academic year. Further Education institutions have received the same uplift.In setting an income threshold for FSM, the government’s judgement is that the current level enables the most disadvantaged children to benefit while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools and the taxpayer. It is right that provision is aimed at supporting the most disadvantaged, those out of work, or those on the lowest incomes. The department does not have any plans to further extend provision at this time. The department will keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who need them most. The department facilitates this by working with other government departments to monitor the cost of living and impact on disadvantaged families and considering a wide range of evidence, including findings produced by the Child Poverty Action Group. In addition to this, the department regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders including school leaders, pupils and catering organisations.

Schools: Concrete

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of RAAC in schools on the coursework results of those studying creative subjects at (a) GCSE, (b) A-level and (c) T-level.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Ofqual on the inclusion of the impact of RAAC in schools in mitigating circumstances guidelines.

Damian Hinds: The safety of staff and pupils is paramount, and the department has been working at pace with schools to identify RAAC and support them to minimise disruption to pupils’ education. The department is working closely with affected schools to ensure the best possible education for pupils and taking every step possible to remove any obstacles to learning through mitigations including temporary accommodation where this is needed and in some instances use of specialist facilities in off-site accommodation. Alongside Ofqual, the department has worked with awarding organisations to help facilitate discussions with affected schools. The department has asked awarding organisations to be as flexible as possible in agreeing longer extensions for coursework and non-examined assessment, including for creative subjects, so that schools have as much time as possible to complete this important part of pupils' learning and qualifications. If schools and colleges are experiencing difficulties in delivering particular GCSE, A level or T Level assessments, due to certain facilities being out of use due to RAAC or have any concerns about exams and assessments themselves being disrupted, they should speak to the relevant awarding organisation. Only the relevant awarding organisation will be able to confirm what can be done in any specific context and the specific options available.

Schools: Transgender People

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish an equality impact assessment on the draft guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children.

Damian Hinds: The department is currently consulting on a draft of Guidance for Schools and Colleges: Gender Questioning Children. The consultation closes on 12 March 2024. The department will publish an equality impact assessment when the final guidance is issued later in the year.

Students: Loans

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will next review the repayment threshold for repayment of (a) student tuition fee loans and (b) student maintenance loans; and if she will carry out a public consultation on this review.

Robert Halfon: Higher Education policy, including student finance, is devolved and this answer relates to England only. The student finance and funding system must provide value for money for all of society at a time of rising costs. It is important that a sustainable student finance system is in place that is fair to students and fair to taxpayers. The department has frozen maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By the 2024/25 academic year, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven successive years. The mechanism for setting repayment thresholds for student loans is set out and governed by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended). This includes provision for annual adjustments, where applicable, which do not require public consultation. The repayment threshold is the same for both tuition fee and maintenance loans. The department will continue to keep the terms of the student finance system under review to ensure that they keep delivering value for money for both students and taxpayers.

Students: Loans

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the level of student maintenance loans on the labour market.

Robert Halfon: The department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the level of student maintenance loans on the labour market.

Students: Loans

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has carried out an equality impact assessment on the uprating of the student maintenance loan.

Robert Halfon: The department publishes an equality impact assessment of changes to student support in England annually on GOV.UK. For the current 2023/24 academic year, the equality impact assessment can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-student-finance-2023-to-2024-equality-analysis.

Department of Health and Social Care

Infant Mortality and Miscarriage: Disadvantaged

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department has spent on research into reducing inequalities in (a) pregnancy loss and (b) baby deaths in each year since 2015.

Maria Caulfield: The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funds a range of research in maternal and neonatal health focussing on the safety of maternity and neonatal services, and the national maternity ambition to halve maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths and brain injury by 2025. Since 2015, the NIHR has invested in seven research awards with a specific focus on reducing inequalities in pregnancy loss and baby deaths. Across their full duration, these awards total a funding amount of £5.8 million.

NHS: Agency Workers

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to make consolidated payments to members of the NHS Professionals National Bank.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making consolidated payments to members of the NHS Professionals National Bank.

Andrew Stephenson: Funding for the 2023-24 consolidated pay uplift for Agenda for Change staff was provided to National Health Service providers through the usual routes.NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP), a limited company wholly owned by the Department, is a supplier of clinical and non-clinical temporary workforce to client NHS trusts. NHSP contracts on an arm’s length basis with NHS trusts to provide flexible workforce solutions including managed bank services and its National Bank offering.NHSP requires approval from its client trusts to implement any pay change for all bank members, including annual consolidated increases. NHSP administers an annual process in line with the NHS Agenda for Change consolidated pay increase process; however, each client trust retains discretion over its implementation. Some NHSP bank members have distinct pay arrangements that do not fall within the regular Agenda for Change framework and again individual trusts determine the pay and conditions for those members of staff.NHSP has provided guidance to its bank workers on eligibility for the consolidated 2023-24 award.

Dental Services: Southend on Sea

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of NHS dental treatment in Southend.

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve dental hygiene in Southend.

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the capacity of NHS dentists in Southend.

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet the hon. Member for Southend West to discuss NHS dental provision in Southend.

Andrea Leadsom: Ministers are always keen to discuss issues regarding National Health Service dentistry.Our plan for dentistry, to be published shortly, will build upon the first package of reforms agreed in July 2022, which included changes to banding and the introduction of a minimum Units of Dental Activity value. Our plan will include addressing how we continue to improve access, particularly for new patients; and how we make NHS work more attractive to ensure NHS dentists are incentivised to deliver more NHS care.The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. These include a 40% increase to dentistry undergraduate training places by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will expand places by 24% by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places.From 1 April 2023, responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to identify areas of need and determine the priorities for investment.The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board has put in place initiatives to improve access to dental care for the whole population. The Dental Access Pilot allows dentists to be open outside of their normal working hours to see patients in need, self-referred or referred from NHS 111. Up to 4 December 2023, just under 4,000 additional patients have been seen because of this work. The pilot will continue until March 2025.Patients who are struggling to find a local dentist can contact NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre for assistance or contact NHS 111 if seeking urgent care.

General Practitioners: Unemployment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of registered general practitioners that are unemployed.

Andrea Leadsom: The data requested is not held centrally.As of September 2023, there were 2,690 more full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in general practice compared to September 2019.The latest available data (November 2023) shows that there were 37,308 FTE (46,879 headcount) doctors in general practice in England.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of trends in the level of sexually transmitted diseases in (a) men and (b) women.

Andrea Leadsom: The UK Health Security Agency publishes annual official statistics on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and in 2022 there were 392,453 new diagnoses of STIs in local government commissioned sexual health services England, an increase of 23.8% compared to 2021 with 317,022, but 16.2% lower compared to 2019 with 468,260. This increase can be partially explained by the recovery in provision of sexual health services in 2022 following the easing of restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. New STI diagnoses increased by 19% from 140,671 to 167,390 in women, and by 24% in men from 164,022 to 202,605 from 2021 to 2022.STIs continue to show socioeconomic variation and disproportionately impact gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, young people aged between 15 and 24 years old and some black ethnic groups. Young people aged between 15 and 24 years old remain the group most likely to be diagnosed with common STIs, and this may be due to higher rates of partner change among people aged between 16 and 24 years old. Young women may be more likely to be diagnosed with an STI due to an increased likelihood of them having male partners who are older than them.Official STI statistics for 2022 are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables

Dentistry: Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of student dentistry places.

Andrea Leadsom: The NHS Long Term Workforce published on 30 June 2023 contained a commitment to expand dentistry training places by 40% so that there are over 1,100 places by 2031/32, and to support this ambition by expanding places by 24% by 2028/29 so that there are 1,000 places that year.

Dental Services: St Helens North

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of NHS dental treatment in St Helens North constituency.

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase capacity of NHS dentists in St Helens North constituency.

Andrea Leadsom: Our plan for dentistry, to be published shortly, will build upon the first package of reforms agreed in July 2022, which included changes to banding and the introduction of a minimum Units of Dental Activity value. Our plan will include addressing how we continue to improve access, particularly for new patients; and how we make National Health Service work more attractive to ensure NHS dentists are incentivised to deliver more NHS care.The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. These include a 40% increase to dentistry undergraduate training places by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will expand places by 24% by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places.From 1 April 2023, responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to identify areas of need and determine the priorities for investment.Patients who are struggling to find a local dentist can contact NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre for assistance or contact NHS 111 if seeking urgent care.

Health: Children in Care

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the statutory guidance on promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children published on 17 March 2015, if she will review and update that guidance.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government committed to update the statutory guidance, Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children, in the February 2023 children’s social care strategy, Stable Homes, Built on Love. This commitment includes extending the guidance to care leavers and was reaffirmed in the Government’s response to the strategy’s consultation, issued in September 2023.While a timeframe for completing the update has not been published, the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work together to complete this work and have commenced engagement with stakeholders.

Liver Diseases: Screening

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including non-alcohol related liver disease assessments in the NHS Health Check programme.

Andrea Leadsom: Following the launch of a digital NHS Health Check in spring 2024, consideration will be given to extending coverage of the NHS Health Check to include the assessment of conditions beyond cardiovascular disease. The Government is investing nearly £17 million in the development and national roll out of a digital NHS Health Check which will give users choice about where and when to have a check, enable us to reach more people, improve efficiency of the programme, and free up National Health Service staff time.

Hospitals: Admissions

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of hospital admissions there were for (a) rickets, (b) tuberculosis, (c) renal tubular acidosis type 1 and (d) malnutrition in age groups (i) 0-4, (ii) 5-9, (iii) 10-16 and (iv) over 17 years in each of the last 10 years.

Andrea Leadsom: The information requested on admissions for renal tubular acidosis type 1 is not held centrally.The following table shows the number of hospital admissions across the requested age groups for rickets since 2013/14:YearAge 0-4Age 5-9Age 10-16Age 17+Total2022/2335422432021/2243831552020/2143180522019/2033176472018/19401892692017/1833661462016/1739578592015/1634375492014/15281264502013/143502845Total363585737515Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity The following table shows the number of hospital admissions across the requested age groups for tuberculosis since 2013/14:YearAge 0-4Age 5-9Age 10-16Age 17+Total2022/2367561694,6954,9872021/2271221234,5644,7802020/216420923,9304,1062019/2065271464,5854,8232018/1981271364,3394,5832017/1890281904,6554,9632016/1784851875,3485,7042015/1676731495,0665,3642014/1564431385,1935,4382013/14133361756,0216,365Total7954171,50548,39651,113Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity The following table shows the number of hospital admissions across the requested age groups for malnutrition since 2019/20, the earliest period for which data is available:YearAge 0-4Age 5-9Age 10-16Age 17+Total2022/23159392,4592,5222021/221417162,4542,5012020/21177172,2032,2442019/20172212,2652,305Total6335939,3819,572Source: Hospital Patient Care Activity

Food: Advertising

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish a response to the consultation entitled Introducing further advertising restrictions on TV and online for products high in fat, salt or sugar: secondary legislation, published on 9 December 2022.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government will publish a response to the consultation in due course. Legislation to further restrict the advertising of less healthy food will come into force in October 2025.

Earwax: Primary Health Care

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that all primary care networks offer an earwax removal service.

Andrea Leadsom: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning ear wax removal services for their respective populations. This is in line with the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), whose guidance on ear wax states that ear wax removal services should be provided on the National Health Service for patients with a clinical need for ear wax removal. ICBs may commission general practitioners, either alone or as Primary Care Networks, or independent sector providers to deliver ear wax removal services in such a way that adequately responds to the needs of their respective populations.

Sugar: Consumption

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce sugar consumption in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government is delivering mandatory and voluntary policies which support reformulation of foods and drinks to reduce levels of sugar and policies that reduce the promotion and advertising of high sugar products to children. These include the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) and a voluntary reformulation programme to encourage businesses to incrementally lower sugar levels in everyday foods. This means consumers can eat more healthily without having to change their diets. Between 2015 and 2020 reductions had been delivered in all product categories in the sugar reduction programme. The greatest changes were reductions of 14.9% and 13.5% in average sugar levels in retailer and manufacturer branded breakfast cereals and yogurts and fromage frais, respectively. The average sugar content of drinks subject to SDIL has reduced by 46% between 2015 and 2020. Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online came in to force in October 2022. Restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price promotions, and on the advertising of less healthy products, are both due to be implemented from 1 October 2025 and are expected to support further sugar reduction. The major conditions strategy: case for change and our strategic framework, published in August 2023, included a commitment to work with stakeholders and industry to reduce sugar, salt and calories in food, including in baby food and drink.

Primary Health Care: Pharmacy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with pharmacists' representatives on the potential impact of community pharmacies delivering the NHS Pharmacy First Service on their (a) finances and (b) workforce.

Andrea Leadsom: The service proposals and funding arrangements for the Pharmacy First Service were co-developed and agreed with Community Pharmacy England, the body that has been formed by the sector and recognised by the Secretary of State as the representative for all pharmacy contractors in England.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of fluoridating the water supply in Devon.

Andrea Leadsom: No specific assessment has been made. The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers in their joint statement in September 2021 concluded that on balance, there is strong scientific evidence that water fluoridation is an effective public health intervention for reducing the prevalence of tooth decay and improving dental health equality across the UK.

Community Diagnostic Centres: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will increase the number of community diagnostic centres in Romford constituency.

Andrew Stephenson: Although ministers approve the final CDC location, these locations are initially proposed by the National Health Service. Business cases for CDCs are formulated by the relevant NHS integrated care board (ICB), which considers population density and growth data and deprivation scores to advise on the most appropriate CDC locations and models. Whilst there is not a CDC in every constituency, the NHS has ensured that each ICB will have at least a standard model of CDC. There are three CDCs in North East London ICB, which patients in the Romford constituency may be able to access: - Barking Community Hospital CDC – standard CDC- Mile End CDC – standard CDC- St George’s Hornchurch CDC – spoke CDC

Medicine: Education

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of available places on the Foundation Programme for medical students who studied in the UK.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase the number of available training places on the Foundation Programme for medical students who studied in the UK.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that medical students who study in the UK have access to NHS foundation jobs at the end of their studies.

Andrew Stephenson: The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) facilitates the operation and continuing development of the UK Foundation Programme. The UKFPO is jointly funded and governed by NHS England and the four United Kingdom Health Departments.The UKFPO confirmed on 1 September 2023 that all eligible applicants in the application process will be allocated a place on the UK Foundation Programme in 2024. UKFPO estimates the UK number of eligible applicants to be approximately 9000 for 2024.The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which covers the workforce, education and training in England contained a commitment to ensure there is adequate growth in foundation placement capacity, as students begin to graduate from the expanded number of medical school places in England, and a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the NHS in England in the future. We will work with stakeholders to ensure this growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.Future workforce growth in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including future foundation programme and speciality training places is a matter for each of the Devolved Administrations.

Fertility: LGBT+ People

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on relieving the financial burdens for same-sex couples receiving fertility treatment.

Maria Caulfield: Funding decisions for health services in England, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population.The Government published the first Women’s Health Strategy on 20 July 2022, which contained several important changes and future ambitions to improve the variations in access to National Health Service funded fertility services. This includes improving access to IVF for female same-sex couples by removing the additional financial burden they face when accessing treatment. We are working with NHS England to develop guidance for ICBs to assist in their commissioning plans, which will be published in due course.

Fertility: Offenders

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether women who have received criminal convictions for (a) non-violent and (b) non-sexual crimes are eligible for NHS fertility treatment.

Maria Caulfield: There is no national guidance about eligibility for National Health Service-funded fertility treatment based on past criminal convictions. In England, decisions about local fertility services are determined by integrated care boards.

Health Services: Women

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on delivering the Women's Health Strategy.

Maria Caulfield: Since publishing the Women’s Health Strategy, we have achieved a significant amount of progress. This includes launching a women’s health area and new women’s health pages on the National Health Service website, investing £25m in women’s health hubs, improving access to hormone replacement therapy and boosting research into women’s health. We have appointed Professor Dame Lesley Regan as the first ever Women’s Health Ambassador for England. Dame Lesley is focused on raising the profile for women’s health and supporting implementation of the strategy.Future priorities will be announced shortly.

Maternity Services: Ethnic Groups

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department issues guidance to healthcare professionals on having conversations with Black and Asian parents on potential medical risks to them and their baby.

Maria Caulfield: Improving personalised maternity care is a key element of NHS England’s Three Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services, which commits to ensuring that all women have a Personalised Care and Support Plan in place and make informed decisions about their care through fully understanding the risks, benefits and consequences of the choices they have.The Three Year Delivery Plan also aims to improve equity for mothers and babies, and outlines the responsibility of Integrated Care Boards to publish and lead implementation of their Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) Equity and Equality Action Plans. LMNSs have published their plans to tackle disparities in outcomes and experiences of maternity care at a local level, which NHS England supported with £6.8 million investment and national guidance. Trusts are responsible for providing services that meet the needs of their local population, paying particular attention to health inequalities.

Brain: Tumours

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made on the proportion of funding for clinical brain tumour research spent in each region of the UK in the latest period for which data is available.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR programme spend on brain tumour research for the financial year 2022/23 was £2,028,646, distributed regionally to research organisations as set out in Table 1. It should be noted that NIHR programme funding is typically awarded to a lead researcher at a research organisation who then coordinates the delivery of the research study at a national level as required.The NIHR also devotes significant resources to supporting patients, the public and health and care organisations across England to participate in high-quality research, thereby advancing knowledge and improving care. However, NIHR does not hold information by region on the delivery of individual research studies.Table 1: Region of lead institution to which NIHR research programme awards were madeRegionSpend 22_23Merseyside23.4%Greater London18.0%Cambridgeshire12.1%Oxfordshire10.8%South Yorkshire9.8%West Yorkshire8.9%Midlothian8.1%Nottinghamshire4.4%West Midland2.2%Somerset1.4%North Yorkshire1.0%Total100.0%

Brain Cancer: Research

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission customised workshops for researchers that have taken place as of 19 December 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: In 2023, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) hosted an essential research skills workshop series specifically designed for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals, in line with National Health Service ambitions to deliver a research-active clinical workforce. Workshops covered research proposal writing, study design and design appraisal, PPI, statistical methodologies, and research dissemination. Participants also benefited from expert-led consultations to receive tailored support for individual research. These five workshops and consultations took place between October and December 2023.The Mission is further collaborating with The Brain Tumour Charity and researchers to advise and support any allied health professional seeking assistance in designing a robust study and submitting a high-quality research proposal.The TJBCM held its first Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator Meeting, where it brought together a panel of world class experts to review three early-stage therapeutics and applications for brain cancer. The application deadline for interested applicants will close in January 2024.The National Institute for Health and Care Research continues to work with the TJBCM and the research community to develop new workshops to further foster and develop research capacity in the brain cancer community to support an increase in quality, quantity, and diversity in brain cancer research in the United Kingdom. The aim is to deliver new workshops in the second half of 2024.

Cancer: Young People

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of cancer in young people.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of young people that are referred for cancer (a) tests and (b) treatment within target referral periods.

Andrew Stephenson: Increasing the diagnosis and treatment referrals for cancers in young people, whilst reducing waiting times, is a priority for this government. Several organisations, including the Department, are taking steps across England to increase diagnosis rates including setting stretching ambitions, supporting general practitioners (GPs) in referring patients, expanding diagnostic capacity, and enabling more precise diagnosis through technology.NHS England is working to deliver the ambition it set in its Long Term Plan to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance underpinning cancer referrals sets out detailed guidance for GPs on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people, recommending very urgent referral , namely an appointment within 48 hours, for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms including any unexplained lump, bruising or bleeding, neurological symptoms or bone pain. For many of these symptoms, GPs now have direct access to request diagnostic tests including X-ray and ultrasound.Backed by £2.3 billion of capital funding, the Department is expanding diagnostic capacity across the NHS by rolling out more community diagnostic centres (CDCs), delivering vital tests, scans and checks. With 140 CDCs open already and up to 160 set to open by March 2025, these offer millions of patients the chance to access quicker, more convenient checks outside of hospitals, with capacity prioritised for cancer. This is contributing to the elective recovery delivery plan ambition for 75% of patients urgently referred by their GP for suspected cancer to receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days.In addition, the National Health Service now offers all children and young people with cancer whole genome sequencing to enable more comprehensive and precise diagnosis, and access to more personalised treatments.Furthermore, the Department is taking steps to reduce cancer treatment waiting times across England, including the time between an urgent GP referral and the commencement of treatment for cancer for patients. The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity.In the 2023/24 Operational Planning Guidance, NHS England announced it is providing over £390 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances in each of the next two years to support delivery of the strategy and the operational priorities for cancer which includes increasing and prioritising diagnostic and treatment capacity for cancer.

Lisdexamfetamine

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of the availability of Elvanse medication.

Andrew Stephenson: It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision, including for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and support, to meet the health and care needs of their local population, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. NICE guidelines for ADHD diagnosis and management aim to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and the quality of care and support people receive. The Department is looking into options for improving data collection and reporting on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guidelines.Disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of ADHD, including Lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse), have been primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites. The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers and some issues have now been resolved. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, which should resolve by April 2024.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Arts: Copyright

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of private copy levy schemes on the creative sector in the European Union.

Saqib Bhatti: The Government has made no recent assessment of the impact of private copy levy schemes on the creative sector in the European Union.The 3rd Trade Specialised Committee on Intellectual Property under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement discussed Private Copying Levies on 23 October 2023 and the Minutes were published on gov.uk here.

Question

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the cancer research sector.

Michelle Donelan: The government is one hundred percent committed to tackling cancer. This is why we made cancer one of our eight healthcare missions, bringing together government, research funders, industry, NHS, and charities to tackle this critical challenge. Working together, the cancer mission will drive earlier diagnosis and improved therapies for UK cancer patients.We also fund cutting-edge cancer research. The National Institute for Health and Care Research supports clinical research into all aspects of the disease, while UKRI spend on cancer research is in the region of £200M annually.As well as academic research, we work with industry to bring the latest treatments to UK patients. Our strategic collaboration agreement with BioNTech aims to provide up to 10,000 UK patients with cutting-edge cancer immunotherapies by 2030. Through this partnership we have ensured UK patients are among the first to access clinical trials for ground-breaking cancer vaccines, with multiple trials already underway across the country.Through my recent visits to Astra Zeneca and Bicycle Therapeutics in Cambridge, I have heard first-hand about some of the latest technologies for cancer diagnosis and treatment. As a government, we are committed to bringing cutting-edge innovations to our cancer patients.

Question

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI on democracy.

Michelle Donelan: The Government takes threats posed by digitally manipulated content extremely seriously.The Defending Democracy Taskforce is leading the Government's response, working with DSIT and others to protect the integrity of our democratic processes.We are working with international partners to tackle this shared challenge and to ensure that social media platforms have the right processes in place to respond. The Online Safety Act puts requirements on platforms to remove illegal mis/dis information - including where it is AI generated.

Medicine: Research

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 17 October 2023 to Question 200502 on Clinical Trials, whether she is taking steps to support the pharmaceutical industry in the (a) development and (b) use of human-specific technologies.

Andrew Griffith: The government is committed to supporting the growth of technologies that support human-specific research, including stem cell research, cell culture systems, imaging and computer modelling. UK Research & Innovation funds the development of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs) through the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs). Since it was established the NC3Rs has invested £89.3 million in research and £27 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges scheme, mainly focusing on new approaches for the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals that reduce the use of animals.

Medicine: Research

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps to support the growth of the human-specific technology sector.

Andrew Griffith: The government is committed to supporting the growth of technologies that support human-specific research, including stem cell research, cell culture systems, imaging and computer modelling. The UK has a world leading reputation for the delivery of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (3Rs). UK Research & Innovation funds the development of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs) through the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs) which works to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies.

Home Office

Visas: Families

Dame Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 42, when he plans to publish details of transition arrangements for couples who have already set a date for their wedding.

Tom Pursglove: Those who already have a family visa within the five-year partner route, or who apply before the minimum income threshold is raised, will continue to have their applications assessed against the current income requirement and will not be required to meet the increased threshold. This will also be the case for children seeking to join or accompany parents.Anyone granted a fiancé visa before the minimum income threshold is raised will also be assessed against the current income requirement when they apply for a family visa within the five year partner route.

Visas: Families

Dame Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an estimate of the number of couples who will be impacted by the planned increase in the minimum income threshold for family visas.

Tom Pursglove: Analytical work has been undertaken across Government to support decision making in this process. The Home Secretary has made a commitment to place an assessment of the impact of these announcements in the House of Commons Library.

Asylum: Applications

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have had their asylum claims (a) removed and (b) withdrawn from the legacy asylum backlog and then gone on to submit new asylum claims.

Tom Pursglove: The number of people who have had their asylum claims removed and withdrawn from the legacy asylum backlog can be found in the quarterly immigration statistics at Asy_10b: asylum-summary-sep-2023-tables, however we are not able to provide the numbers of those who have gone on to have either a new fresh asylum claim accepted and/or have raised a further submission as this information is not published.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to section 3c of the Asylum accommodation support transformation: policy equality statement, updated by his Department on 8 September 2020, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (a) tackle prejudice and (b) foster good relations between LGBTQI+ people and others accommodated in hotels; what reports asylum accommodation providers have provided on the experiences of their LGBTQI+ service users; what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that asylum accommodation providers are (i) proactive in monitoring and identifying specific needs or risks and (ii) taking appropriate measures to respond; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that accommodation providers are not accommodating people identified as having specific needs or being at risk in the same sleeping quarters as other unrelated service users.

Tom Pursglove: We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Further details can be found at: AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf.Section G.2 of the AASC provides examples of factors which accommodation providers should consider as part of their case-by-case assessment of an individual’s needs in room sharing, including whether they identify as LGBTQ+. This aligns with the allocation of accommodation policy which sets out that the circumstances of every person in asylum accommodation should be assessed individually. Where an individual need or safeguarding concern exists, accommodation may be provided to meet such need.The AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting & Eligibility) service has also introduced more independent and transparent oversight of standards through clearer complaints mechanisms for asylum seekers and supporting data that allows more intelligent targeting of performance improvement.Additionally, the Home Office has published the Asylum Support Contracts Safeguarding Framework at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-support-contracts-safeguarding-framework. This framework sets out a joint, overarching approach, as well as the key controls and reporting mechanisms in place, across the AASC contracts, for safeguarding arrangements.   All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information about how to obtain further support.

Asylum: Hong Kong

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what review his Department is undertaking of asylum applications by people from Hong Kong who have been involved in pro-democracy campaigns; and what his planned timescale is for that review.

Tom Pursglove: The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it with half a million individuals on humanitarian routes since 2015. All asylum claims admitted to the UK asylum system receive careful consideration. We will not remove anyone to their own, or any other country, where they would face persecution or serious harm. Asylum decision makers carefully consider each claimant’s protection needs by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information guidance. They receive extensive training on considering asylum claims and must follow published Home Office policy guidance. This includes any claims received from people from Hong Kong. Those from Hong Kong may also be eligible for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route which was launched following China’s imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. To be eligible for the route, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status. The Home Office is currently not undertaking a specific review into asylum applications by people from Hong Kong who have been involved in pro-democracy campaigns.

Driving: Lighting

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of flashing lighting on speed cameras on people with (a) epilepsy and (b) other conditions triggered by flashing lights.

Chris Philp: The Speedmeter, Traffic Light and Prohibited Lane Enforcement Camera Handbook v2.0 includes requirements for driver-facing flash units on Home Office Type Approved speed cameras to be below the illumination levels set for vehicle signals by Regulation ECE R65.Regulation ECE R65 is a United Nations standard for beacons, light bars and other vehicle warning lamps. This regulation is designed to ensure that certain key standards governing light output, light dispersion, flash frequency and colour are being met. It would be a matter for a doctor to decide if an individual is fit to drive a vehicle if they have a medical condition trigged by flashing lights.

Asylum: Wansbeck

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many properties are being used to house asylum seekers in Wansbeck as of 19 December 2023.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are housed in Wansbeck as of 19 December 2023.

Tom Pursglove: The number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority, although not broken down into hotels or other accommodation can be found in the attached link https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support.

Home Office: Public Relations

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department spent on press and public relations in each financial year since 2019-20.

Chris Philp: Communications spend is set out in the annual report HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). It is not possible to isolate spend on press and public relations.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of foreign national prisoners have indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of foreign national prisoners made a claim for asylum prior to being detained in the latest year for which data is available.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does not publish data on the immigration status of foreign nationals held in prisons.The Home Office publishes data on asylum-related detainees in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on numbers of asylum-related detainees entering, leaving and in detention are published in table Det_01 of the ‘Detention Summary tables’. However data on numbers of foreign national offenders being detained are not published. Asylum-related cases refer to those where there has been an asylum claim at some stage prior or during detention. This will include asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been refused, and who have exhausted any rights of appeal, those returned under third country provisions, as well as those granted asylum/protection, but detained for other reasons (such as criminality).Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the end of September 2023 for entering and leaving detention data, and September 2022 for in detention data.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Passports: EU Countries

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging the airline industry to alert passport holders at the time of booking about new EU exit passport requirements in 2024.

Tom Pursglove: We continue to work with port owners and operators to understand and support their plans to mitigate EES and ETIAS impacts at the border. Whilst EES and ETIAS are EU schemes, we expect that government communications to the travelling public will focus on the Gov.UK and FCDO travel advice websites, with additional bespoke communications to trade groups and carriers to enable them to support their members and customers.

Visas: Married People

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to publish a consultation on his proposed increase to the income requirement for spousal visas for (a) people earning the National Living Wage and (b) other people.

Tom Pursglove: There are no plans to consult on the Government’s plans to increase the Minimum Income Requirement for those sponsoring family members on the partner or child family immigration routes.

Visas: Married People

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made a recent comparative assessment of the income requirements for spousal visas in (a) other countries and (b) the UK.

Tom Pursglove: We keep the family Immigration Rules under regular review and part of that includes considering international comparisons.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to respond to the letters of 3 October and 6 November 2023 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare sent on behalf of a constituent regarding Minister Kitutu's visit.

Tom Tugendhat: The Security Minister will respond on behalf of the Home Secretary to the letters of 3rd October and 6th November from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare in due course.

Department for Business and Trade

Tractors: Batteries

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answers of 14 and 18 December 2023 to Questions 6067, 6068 and 6383 on Tractors: Batteries, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of maintaining rules of origin import taxes on battery electric truck tractors from the EU on the UK's transition to electric vehicles.

Greg Hands: The rules which apply to battery electric truck tractors have been in force since 1 January 2021 and were not due to change in 2024. Zero emission vehicles will help the UK decarbonise and meet our Net Zero 2050 targets. The Government is committed to supporting the transition to these vehicles.

EU Law

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many items of retained EU law were (a) revoked and (b) assimilated before 1 January 2024.

Kevin Hollinrake: At the end of 2023, approximately 700 pieces of Retained EU Law (REUL) were revoked via schedule 1 of the Act (“the revocation schedule”) and subsequent secondary legislation. Unless actively revoked, no REUL was sunset and instead became “assimilated law” after the end of 2023. The Retained EU Law Dashboard is the government’s public catalogue of each piece of REUL confirmed by government departments, and their status. The dashboard currently features 5020 pieces of REUL and will be updated in January 2024, in line with our statutory commitments in the REUL Act and alongside the forthcoming first REUL parliamentary report.

Greensill: Redundancy Pay

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6145 on Greensill: Redundancy Pay, whether she has made an assessment of the likelihood of success of the claim.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Administrators of Greensill Capital have previously indicated they expect to make distributions to unsecured creditors, including the claim by the Redundancy Payments Service. The Administrators confirmed to the Redundancy Payments Service on 8 January that the quantum and timing of any distribution is uncertain.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Theft

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6863 on Ministry of Defence: Theft, what each of the (a) items of service equipment and (b) other defence assets were.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The numbers of instances provided previously in Question 6863, in the table below, will have included both live and closed cases and therefore we can now only list those items for closed cases so as not to compromise live ongoing investigations. SubcategoryNumber of InstancesService equipment153Other Defence assets34 These figures were drawn from the Defence Confidential Hotline Case Management System data. It should also be noted that whilst items are initially reported as stolen, in some instances it is subsequently established that the items were lost as opposed to stolen. The following table lists (a) items of service equipment and (b) other defence assets that were previously provided as headline figures in Question 6863: Case NumberFraud SubcategoryItem(s) 1Other Defence assetsDyson heaters2Other Defence assetsMulti Meter3Service EquipmentGeneral Service Respirator, Canisters and Respirator Bag4Service EquipmentBody armour and helmet5Service EquipmentHelmet6Service EquipmentGeneral Service Respirator, Mark 7 ballistic helmet and Virtus body armour carrier7Other Defence assetsLight bulb8Service EquipmentVirtus Helmet9Service EquipmentVirtus Helmet10Service EquipmentVirtus Helmet & Body Armour11Service EquipmentVirtus Helmet12Service EquipmentVirtus Body Armour Fillers13Other Defence assetsWatt Bike Trainer Monitor14Service EquipmentG0 Helmet15Service EquipmentVIRTUS helmet, helmet mandible and body armour16Service EquipmentBergen, MOD (A) issued VIRTUS scalable vest, VIRTUS Helmet, Webbing and General Service Respirator17Service EquipmentSmall Arms Protection Vest18Service EquipmentArmy Recruitment Gazebo19Service EquipmentVirtus Helmet20Other Defence assetsFlat Screen TV21Other Defence assetsSilver pheasant ornaments22Service EquipmentVIRTUS scalable vest23Service EquipmentMOD (A) issued VIRTUS Helmet, Scalable vest and ancillaries, MOD laptop24Service EquipmentPedal Cycle25Other Defence assetsMOD issued Tools26Service EquipmentVirtus Helmet27Service EquipmentAmmunition28Service EquipmentGeneral Service Respirator29Other Defence assetsMOD ID Card30Service EquipmentElectronic ear defence31Service EquipmentHawke Laser Range Finders.32Service EquipmentDaysacks Including MOD and Personal equipment.33Service EquipmentVIRTUS equipment34Service EquipmentVIRTUS helmet35Service EquipmentVIRTUS webbing and scalable vest36Service EquipmentVIRTUS scalable vest and General Service Respirator37Service EquipmentVIRTUS 17L Daysack.38Service EquipmentVIRTUS helmet39Service EquipmentVIRTUS helmet40Service EquipmentWebbing; vest; helmet; and bag.41Service EquipmentVIRTUS mandible, webbing and day sack and personal items42Service EquipmentVIRTUS scalable vest43Service EquipmentAlleged Loss of GSR44Service EquipmentLED 40" Smart TV45Service EquipmentDaysacks46Service EquipmentRespirator & Filter ACTO CAT 247Service EquipmentHelmet48Service EquipmentFuel49Service EquipmentCES Items50Service EquipmentReplica Scale Model Siege Gun.51Service EquipmentVIRTUS body armour system52Service EquipmentVIRTUS helmet53Service EquipmentMOD(A) Respirator54Service EquipmentVIRTUS body armour55Other Defence assetsX-Box Controllers56Service EquipmentDetector Gas, Helmet Ground Troops, Endoscope Camera.57Service EquipmentLand Rover Tyre Rims.58Service EquipmentAlleged theft of Virtus daysack/VIRTUS helmet59Service EquipmentRifle, blank rounds and attachments60Service EquipmentACTO Small Arms Protection vest61Service EquipmentPersonal items/issued kit62Service EquipmentAssault ladders, tent equipment, vehicle parts and uniform63Other Defence assetsOutboard motor and propellers64Service EquipmentMOD(A) VIRTUS TAC vest, MOD(A) VIRTUS helmet and MOD(A) General Service Respirator65Service EquipmentBody armour66Service EquipmentBody armour, helmet, empty magazines, scopes and silencer for a rifle.Service EquipmentBody armour, helmet, empty magazines, scopes and silencer for a rifle.67Service EquipmentApple iPad Pro21 and cash68Service EquipmentRadio equipment69Service EquipmentVirtus Kit70Other Defence assetsOffice supplies and personal phone71Service EquipmentMOD Issue Laptop72Service EquipmentField Pack Bergens and SILVA Compass73Other Defence assetsNinja Foodi Max Air Fryer74Service EquipmentVIRTUS helmet75Service EquipmentGym equipment76Service EquipmentGround Helmet77Service EquipmentVIRTUS scalable vest78Service EquipmentVIRTUS helmet and scalable vest, and General Service Respirator79Service EquipmentVIRTUS Scalable Vest, Nape Protections and General Service respirator filters80Service EquipmentMOD (A) issued Fridge81Service EquipmentIssued Medals82Service EquipmentBowman Cable Assembly83Service EquipmentDrills84Service EquipmentNot stated85Service EquipmentVirtus Helmet86Service EquipmentVIRTUS scalable vest, helmet, General Service Respirator and cash87Service EquipmentVIRTUS Helmet and emergency release strap88Service EquipmentCES Kit89Service EquipmentCanbus Terminator90Service EquipmentPeltor Ear Defence91Other Defence assetsWhite goods92Service EquipmentDrill Rounds93Service EquipmentMilitary Equipment94Service EquipmentWRENCH TOQUE/RATCHET HANDLE & SLIDING T BAR95Service EquipmentGeneral Mechanic Tool Kit96Service EquipmentMOD (A) Watt Bike97Service EquipmentVIRTUS Helmet & Scalable Vests98Service EquipmentPedal Cycle99Service EquipmentToolbox100Service EquipmentBaker Rifle101Service EquipmentVIRTUS Bergan102Other Defence assetsPedal Cycle103Other Defence assetsGenerator airlines from an MOD(A) issued mounted generator trailer104Other Defence assetsDecommissioned Heavy Machine Gun105Other Defence assetsVIRTUS daysack and laptop charger106Service EquipmentTools107Service EquipmentMOD(A) binoculars108Service EquipmentExercise equipment109Service EquipmentAltberg boots & Respirator110Other Defence assetsMOD issued UBAC and MOD issued MTP Trousers111Service EquipmentNight Vision Scopes.112Service EquipmentTumble dryer113Service EquipmentMK7 helmet & VIRTUS shoulder padsService EquipmentMK7 helmet & VIRTUS shoulder pads114Service Equipment50" TV115Other Defence assetsJackery Power bank116Service EquipmentVIRTUS Body Armour and other military equipment117Other Defence assetsDiamond brooch118Service EquipmentCES items119Service EquipmentMedical bergens and collapsible stretchers120Service EquipmentHMNVG's

HMS Westminster

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out of service date is for HMS Westminster.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of HMS Westminster.

James Cartlidge: The coming years will see the Royal Navy carefully managing the transition between the current fleet to its new ships, maintaining operational commitments while ensuring value for money. I am committed to looking at the future of the Surface Fleet in the round and making tough but necessary decisions to ensure this transition is a success. HMS Westminster remains in Devonport dockyard and is part of a modernisation programme being implemented to all Type 23s that are in upkeep. We do not disclose the fine detail of forward availability forecasts to preserve the operational security of the Fleet. No final decisions have been made concerning the status of HMS Westminster.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times his Department has invoked penalty clauses in the service accommodation contracts with (a) VIVO, (b) Amey and (c) Pinnacle.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value is of the penalties on (a) VIVO, (b) Amey and (c) Pinnacle under penalty clauses in the contracts to deliver service accommodation.

James Cartlidge: The service accommodation contracts do not invoke penalty clauses; however, they withhold fixed and variable profit based on performance. Profits have been withheld at the end of each of the four quarterly Service Periods since that bedding-in period ended. The Department is unable to provide the specific amounts being withheld, as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Warrior Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to extend the service life of the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department made of the cost of extension of the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 July 2023 to Question 194148 to the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Mark Francois). Warrior Vehicles (docx, 24.7KB)

Rwanda: Asylum

Michael Shanks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on his Department's potential role in the UK-Rwanda migration partnership.

James Heappey: Defence officials are working closely with the Home Office to identify where it would be appropriate for Defence to support the implementation of the UK-Rwanda migration partnership.

Middle East: Aircraft Carriers

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to task an aircraft carrier to the Middle East.

James Heappey: At present, an aircraft carrier is not tasked to the Middle East. However, the UK Carrier Strike Group remains ready to respond to the evolving global threat picture as required. The UK continues to meet its operational commitments at home and abroad.

Army

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a list of the (a) brigades, (b) regiments and (c) supporting units in (i) 1 and (ii) 3 Division.

James Heappey: The below table shows the organisational structure of 1 (UK) Division and 3 (UK) Division as at January 2024. Supporting units (c) have been indicated with an asterisk. 1 (UK) Division16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team4 Light Brigade Combat Team7 Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team11 Security Force Assistance Brigade19 Light Brigade8 Engineer Brigade102 Operational Sustainment Brigade*Divisional Information Manoeuvre Group*1 Royal Military Police Group2nd Battalion Parachute RegimentLight DragoonsRoyal Scots Dragoon Guards3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of ScotlandQueen’s Own Yeomanry20 Works Group Royal Engineers7 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps2nd Battalion Royal Yorks1 Regiment Royal Military Police3rd Regiment Parachute Regiment2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland1st Battalion Scots Guards1st Battalion Irish GuardsScottish and North Irish Yeomanry36 Regiment Royal Engineers2 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers37 Signal Regiment3 Regiment Royal Military Police2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles1st Battalion Grenadier Guards1st Battalion Royal Yorks1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment4th Battalion Royal Yorks39 Regiment Royal Engineers101 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers1 Military Intelligence BattalionSpecial Operations Unit1 Battalion Royal Irish1st Battalion Coldstream Guards2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment3rd Battalion The Rifles4th Battalion Duke of Lancaster Regiment62 Works Group Royal Engineers150 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps5 Military Intelligence BattalionMilitary Provost Staff Corps4th Battalion Parachute Regiment1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland4th Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment6th Battalion Rifles63 Works Group Royal Engineers158 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps  7 Para Regiment Royal Horse Artillery2nd Battalion The Rifles1st Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal RegimentOutreach Group8th Battalion Rifles65 Works Group Royal Engineers159 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps  23 Regiment Royal Engineers103 Regt Royal Artillery4 Regiment Royal Artillery 6th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland66 Works Group Royal Engineers   13 Air Assault Regiment Royal Logistic Corps154 Regiment Royal Artillery105 Regiment Royal Artillery 7th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland71 Regiment Royal Engineers   16 Medical Regiment102 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers32 Regiment Royal Engineers 2nd Battalion Royal Irish1 Military Working Dogs   Path Finders75 Regiment Royal Engineers1 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers 3rd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment11 EOD Regiment Royal Logistic Corps   216 Signal Squadron 6 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps  28 Regiment Royal Engineers 3 Medical Regiment  29 EOD and Search Regiment Royal Engineers33 Regiment Royal Engineers35 Regiment Royal Engineers101 Regiment Royal Engineers3 (UK) Division12 Armoured Brigade Combat Team20 Armoured Brigade Combat Team1 Deep Recce Strike Brigade Combat Team101 Operational Sustainment Brigade*7 Signal Group*25 Close Support Engineer Group*Multi-Domain Operations Group*7 Air Defence GroupKing’s Royal HussarsRoyal Dragoon GuardsRoyal Lancers10 Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment1 Signal Regiment21 Regiment Royal Engineers4 Military Intelligence Battalion12th Regiment Royal ArtilleryRoyal Tank RegimentQueen’s Royal HussarsHousehold Cavalry Regiment151 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps3 Signal Regiment22 Regiment Royal Engineers7 Military Intelligence Battalion106th Regiment Royal ArtilleryRoyal Wessex Yeomanry1st Battalion Royal Regiment of FusiliersQueen’s Dragoon Guards27 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps15 Signal Regiment26 Regiment Royal Engineers 16th Regiment Royal Artillery1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment5th Battalion Royal Regiment of FusiliersRoyal Yeomanry156 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps71 Signal RegimentRoyal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers  4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment5th Battalion The Rifles1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery157 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps1st Battalion Royal Welsh7th Battalion The Rifles104 Regiment Royal Artillery5 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers3rd Battalion Royal Welsh3rd Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery103 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers4 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers1 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps101 Regiment Royal Artillery 4 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps3 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers5th Regiment Royal Artillery 2 Medical Regiment1 Medical Regiment19th Regiment Royal Artillery   26th Regiment Royal Artillery   6 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers   100 Regiment Royal Artillery

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to select a preferred bidder for the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the contract value is of the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Armed Forces Recruiting Programme (AFRP) has now completed its fourth and final round of competitive dialogue with bidders. The transition and implementation phase for the preferred bidder will commence at Contract Award in May 2025. I am withholding information concerning the contract value of AFRP as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests.

Ukraine: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Government plans to announce its financial commitment for military support for Ukraine for 2024/25.

James Heappey: The UK Government is committed in its support for Ukraine. We expect to announce our support for the next financial year shortly.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Drugs

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the volume of illegal drugs found in prisons between (a) 2014 and 2018 and (b) 2019 and 2023.

Edward Argar: The number of incidents where drugs are found in prisons in England and Wales is published in the HMPPS Annual Digest through the incidents data tool.a) Between April 2013 and March 2018, there were 44,206 drug find incidents in prisons in England and Wales.b) Between April 2018 and March 2023, there were 92,619 drug find incidents in prisons in England and Wales. Data for April to December 2023 is not included because it is subject to future publication as part of the 2023-24 Annual Digest.It is important to consider with incidents of drug finds in prisons, that an increase in numbers may be as a result of more items being found, rather than more items being present in prisons. Our £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs, was completed in March 2022. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of October 2023, we have recorded 46,925 positive indications, helping to tackle the supply of drugs and other contraband into prisons.Our £100m Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs, was completed in March 2022. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of October 2023, we have recorded 46,925 positive indications, helping to tackle the supply of drugs and other contraband into prisons.

Ministry of Justice: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many settlement payments his Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Mike Freer: The information requested for the period between 2019 - 2020 is not held centrally due to GDPR rules. The information requested for the period between 2020 and 2023 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Offenders: Care Leavers

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to update the HM Prison and Probation Service Strategy for care-experienced people.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Barnardo’s report entitled Double discrimination: Black care-experienced young adults navigating the criminal justice system, published on 21 September 2023.

Edward Argar: We are grateful for the work Barnardo's have done to highlight the challenges faced by young black care-experienced people in our criminal justice system, and look forward to working with Barnardo's further to ensure we are tackling these issues.Across the criminal justice system, we are taking forward an extensive programme of work to tackle unexplained disparities where they are identified. The Inclusive Britain strategy is central to the development of this work and contains some of our flagship efforts.We are also updating our strategy for people with care experience in the criminal justice system, to ensure we are using care-experienced people’s time in the criminal justice system to support them to lead crime-free lives. This will include a focus on race and its role in shaping the experiences and outcomes of those with care experience in the criminal justice system.We are aiming to publish this strategy later this year.

Prisons: Research

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 14 September 2023 to Question 198320 on Ipsos MORI: Prisons, when he expects to receive the results of the research project on the retributive benefit of prison.

Edward Argar: The Department is working with Ipsos Mori to finalise the research design and ensure it is analytically robust. The survey has not yet been conducted but the expectation is that results will be available later this year.

Alternatives to Prosecution

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to implement the framework for out-of-court disposals introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

Edward Argar: The Government is committed to delivering a strengthened and consistent Out of Court Disposals framework in England and Wales through the reformed two-tier cautions framework set out in the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022. We are continuing to work towards implementing it effectively. Our draft Code of Practice, covering the use, administration, and scrutiny of the revised framework of the Diversionary and Community Cautions, was put to public consultation from 2 August to 13 October 2023. We are analysing the responses received to inform any necessary revisions to the draft Code of Practice and we will publish a Government response to the consultation in due course. We will confirm the implementation timeline for the revised framework once this process is complete.

Prisons: Drugs

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many drug-related deaths have occurred in prisons each year since 2019.

Edward Argar: There were 17 drug-related deaths in custody in 2019 identified when matching HMPPS deaths data to the ONS deaths registration database, as can be found in this publication: Drug-related deaths and suicide in prison custody in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk). The data used in this publication was for deaths from 2008 to 2019, and the information is not held in the form in which it has been requested from 2020 onwards. To identify drug-related deaths from 2020 onwards is not possible within the cost limit. This is due to the methodology needed to be consistent with the publication above. Linking each HMPPS death to the ONS deaths registration database to identify those which were drug-related is a complex task that would exceed the cost limit. As mentioned in the Guide to Safety in Custody Statistics – “Although HMPPS monitors drug related deaths, it does not use this category in published statistics because they are difficult to measure accurately. In addition, the category can blur the boundary with self-inflicted deaths.”Therefore, we are unable to provide the number of drug-related deaths from 2020 onwards. Please note, deaths in custody for 2023 are currently only published up to September. Deaths in custody for the rest of 2023 will be published on 25 January 2024 within Safety in Custody.

Prisons: Drugs

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which prisons random mandatory drug tests were carried out in 2023.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the target number of random mandatory drug tests to be carried out in prisons each month.

Edward Argar: Random Mandatory Drug Testing is carried out across the prison estate to meet the annual target. The attached table details the prisons in which random mandatory drug tests were carried out in 2023.Data for April to December 2023 is not included because it is subject to future publication as part of the 2023-24 Annual Digest.The target number of rMDT each month is a random sample of 5% of prisoners in prisons with 400 or more prisoners and 10% of prisoners in prisons with fewer than 400 prisoners. These testing levels are set annually, based on the average monthly population in the previous year.Drug Testing Numbers (xlsx, 17.7KB)

Reoffenders

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many serious further offences were committed in each year between 2020 and 2023; and how many and what proportion of the perpetrators of those offences were (i) under community supervision, (ii) on a determinate prison sentence, (iii) on a life sentence and (iv) imprisoned for public protection.

Edward Argar: The table below sets out the total number of convictions, where an offender subject to probation supervision was charged with a serious further offence (SFO), which resulted subsequently in a conviction, for all cases notified to HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2022. Index Sentence202020212022 (Jan-Dame Margaret HodgeMar only) Number%Number%Number%Community Supervision11740%9936%2940%Determinate Prison Sentence16857%15857%3852%Life Licence21%62%11%IPP62%135%57%Total 293276731. Time period for conviction data relates to the date of SFO notification to HMPPS not the date of conviction.2. Index sentence refers to the sentencing disposal imposed by the court which led to probation services supervision of the offender.3. The Index sentence refers to the first qualifying index sentence, in cases where offenders are supervised on multiple sentences.4. The data includes cases where the SFO was committed within 28 days of the end of the supervision period.5. Conviction data also includes cases where the offender committed suicide or died prior to the trial, where the judicial process concluded that they were responsible.7. Data Sources and Quality. We have drawn these figures from administrative IT systems which, as with some large-scale recording systems, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Figures are published based on the date of SFO notification (charge) received by HMPPS. The lag between the date of publication and the conviction figures is to allow time for most cases to complete the criminal justice process. Figures for 2022/23 will be published in October 2024. Serious further offences are incredibly rare, with fewer than 0.5% of offenders supervised by the Probation Service going on to commit serious further offences, but each one is investigated fully so we can take action where necessary. We have also injected extra funding of more than £155 million a year into the Probation Service to deliver tougher supervision, reduce caseloads and recruit thousands more staff to keep the public safer.

Wetherby Young Offender Institution: Prison Officers

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the (a) age (b) gender and (c) ethnicity of the prison officers responsible for girls who have been placed at the Wetherby and Keppel Young Offender Institution in the last 12 months.

Edward Argar: The demographic breakdown of the 74 members of staff at HMYOI Wetherby who are eligible to work with girls on the Keppel Unit is provided in the table attached. These staff are not permanently assigned to work on the unit, and may work across other areas of the establishment in the course of their duties.Staffing Numbers (xlsx, 15.3KB)

Wetherby Young Offender Institution: Solitary Confinement

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether girls placed at the Wetherby and Keppel Young Offender Institution have been separated for more than seven days in the last 12 months.

Edward Argar: In the 12 months to March 2023, girls accommodated in the Keppel Unit were separated for more than seven days on eight occasions. The Youth Custody Service recognises the potential negative impact of children not being able to mix and interact with their peers, which is why children are only separated as a last resort – to manage the risk to or from other children, and after alternative interventions have been exhausted. Dynamic assessment of risk factors also determines the duration of the separation period. Any separation must be regularly reviewed and may only be in place for as long as is necessary to manage the risk to the child or others. As part of its efforts to ensure that separation is managed as effectively as possible, the Youth Custody Service is reviewing its guidance on ‘Minimising and Managing Use of Separation and Isolation in the Youth Estate Framework’, which was published in April 2022. The review is due for publication in 2024.

Wetherby Young Offender Institution: Education

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to (a) classroom and (b) vocational education for girls who have been placed at Wetherby and Keppel young offender institution in the last 12 months.

Edward Argar: We recognise the importance of ensuring that time in custody is purposeful, and are committed to ensuring that children and young people have the necessary and appropriate access to education, skills, and work provision with a consistent daily programme of activities. Girls and boys have equal access to vocational and class-based learning. Access is determined following consideration of prior attainment, interests, individual needs, and risk assessments.

Wetherby Young Offender Institution: Safety

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to implement additional safeguarding practices for girls who are placed at the Wetherby and Keppel Young Offender Institution.

Edward Argar: The Youth Custody Service has put in place an estate-wide safeguarding strategy and policy to ensure that staff working in the youth secure estate are clear about protection responsibilities in relation to both girls and boys.The Child Safeguarding Policy Framework applies to all secure settings where remanded and sentenced children and young people are accommodated. This includes Young Offender Institutions for children and young people under 18, the Secure Training Centre and Secure Children’s Homes, as well as to those responsible for the movement of children between secure settings and courts.Individual establishments are responsible for developing local operating procedures, and for undertaking related assurance activity.

Question

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to tackle violence against women and girls through the criminal justice system.

Laura Farris: This Government’s track record in tackling violence against women and girls includes introducing• Our landmark Domestic Abuse Act, which created the new criminal offence of non-fatal strangulation; recognised wider forms of abuse, such as emotional and economic abuse, in law for the first time; and extended the controlling and coercive behaviour offence to include post-separation abuse; and,• The Rape Review, through which we have tripled the number of cases the police are now referring to the CPS and more than doubled the number of adult rape cases reaching court since 2019.And we are going further by introducing:• The Sentencing Bill, which will legislate to ensure that rapists and the most serious sexual offenders remain in prison for the whole of their custodial sentences, up from 2/3 currently and after the last Labour Government lowered it to only 50%; and• The Criminal Justice Bill, which will strengthen the multi-agency management of offenders convicted of controlling or coercive behaviour.

Police Cautions: Hate Crime

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of conditional cautions in relation to hate crime.

Gareth Bacon: National guidance issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Adult Conditional Cautions states that they are not considered suitable for offences involving hate crime. However, there are rare cases when, because of the nature of the crime or the circumstances of the offender, exceptionally a Conditional Caution could be considered. Any such case considered suitable by the police for a Conditional Caution must be referred to a prosecutor and cannot be issued without the expressed authorisation of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Cabinet Office

Concrete: Research

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will (a) form a national team of academics and industrialists to assess the implications for his policies of the conclusions of public-funded research that has been undertaken on RAAC and (b) request that Innovate UK issue a call for proposals under a unified RAAC theme on (i) non-contact structural integrity assessment, (ii) contact-based structural integrity assessment, (iii) short-term solutions to address the problem, (iv) strategies for long-term solutions, (v) a review of previously published research and (vi) the development of new codes of practice with a view to minimise the probability of such materials-based problems arising in the future.

Alex Burghart: Whilst some research has been carried out and is underway, it is important to pursue further research into Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). The Cabinet Office is already working with the Government Office for Science, Innovate UK, academics, professional bodies, industry and other stakeholders to prioritise future research requirements.

Immigration: Overseas Students

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason international students studying in the UK are included in overall immigration statistics.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon Members Parliamentary Question of 18th December is attached.UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 111.7KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Import Controls

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a three-month trial for planned border control posts from 30 April 2024 that enables the operation of a dual BCP and place of destination inspection system.

Mark Spencer: The Government is committed to implementing the full controls set out in the Border Target Operating Model, including physical inspections at Border Control Posts (BCPs) and Control Points (CPs). The Place of Destination (PoD) scheme was introduced as a temporary measure to enable the performance of checks on EU imports of high-priority plants and plant products during the transitional stages of introducing new imports controls. From 30 April 2024, the POD scheme will come to an end and all regulated plants and plant products must come through a BCP or CP for identity and physical checks to be carried out. BCPs and CPs are purpose built for SPS checks and staffed by experienced and knowledgeable Plant Health & Seed Inspectors. They are essential to protecting our food supply-chains and agricultural sector from disease outbreaks that would cause significant economic harm. Defra is confident that existing and new BCP infrastructure will have sufficient capacity and capability to handle the volume of expected checks outlines in the Border Target Operating Model, with robust, dynamic, and effective operational measures ready to call upon if needed. Defra is working with existing BCPs to ensure they are prepared, and the Government has built new infrastructure at critical locations.

Dogs: Smuggling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce stand-alone legislative proposals to tackle puppy smuggling.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to tackle puppy smuggling.

Mark Spencer: The Government takes the illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals. The Government is committed to delivering the manifesto commitment on puppy smuggling. We plan to take forward measures to crack down on puppy smuggling as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Elephants: Poaching

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in (a) the Ivory Coast, (b) Ghana, (c) Central African Republic, (d) Gabon, (e) Cameroon and (f) other countries in the region on taking further steps to help tackle the poaching of forest (i) elephants and (ii) elephant calves.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with (a) international counterparts, (b) charities and (c) rangers to help tackle the poaching of elephants.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many rangers received funding from his Department to help tackle the poaching of elephants in the latest period for which data is available.

Rebecca Pow: The UK is committed to combatting the illegal wildlife trade (IWT). We are increasing our funding and will invest a further £30 million between 2022 and 2025. Defra Ministers and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials at Posts regularly discuss important conservation matters including poaching of elephants. For example, the UK signed a letter of intent in December 2023 with Cameroon’s Minister of the Environment, Nature Protection, and Sustainable Development to deliver the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund. Defra provides support for a variety of different projects that support rangers and protect elephants through the IWT Challenge Fund and direct programming, which are detailed below. Defra’s grant scheme – the IWT Challenge Fund – has supported projects to change behaviours, strengthen wildlife crime legislation, and help communities to protect the wildlife they rely on for their livelihoods. More information is available at https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/. Our support for rangers includes the British military’s Defra-funded Counter IWT Ranger Training Programme, which has helped wildlife parks work together to strengthen law enforcement and share information to disrupt smuggling and poaching across Africa.The UK is investing at least £12 million Overseas Development Assistance between 2024 and 2030 in Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo through the £100 million Biodiverse Landscapes Fund. This programme aims to protect biodiversity and reduce poverty, with measures that intend to reduce human wildlife conflict and combat the illegal wildlife trade. Information on total number of rangers is not available as we do not aggregate this data.

Wood-burning Stoves

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Climate Change Committee on the use of wood burning stoves over the next (a) 10 and (b) 20 years.

Robbie Moore: Defra officials and the Air Quality Expert Group worked with the Climate Change Committee in 2020 to identify the opportunities and potential tensions from policies and interventions to achieve net zero and other environmental outcomes such as air quality. We set out our proposals to reduce air pollution from wood burning in our Environmental Improvement Plan. We are not considering a ban on domestic burning in England. Defra officials regularly engage with the Climate Change Committee on a wide range of issues.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many settlement payments his Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Simon Hoare: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details will be withheld to avoid identifying individuals when numbers involved are five or fewer.

Towns Fund: Spalding

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Towns Fund in Spalding.

Jacob Young: The Government is focused on Levelling Up the UK, which includes supporting places such as Spalding to deliver high value funding which unlocks the potential of local economies and creates visible change within places.Spalding has been awarded funding from multiple funds, including £20 million from the Long-Term Plans for Towns; £19.6 million in round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund; and £20 million in round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund.We are committed to ongoing evaluation of these funds. The Department’s Evaluation Strategy DLUHC evaluation strategy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which was published in November 2022, sets out our commitment to undertake and learn from evaluation activity across all our policy areas.

Rents: Warwick and Leamington

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the average monthly rent payment in Warwick and Leamington constituency was in each year since 2010.

Jacob Young: Rental data at constituency level is not held centrally.

Levelling Up Fund

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Oral Statement of 20 November 2023 on Levelling Up, Official Report, column 25, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of participating in Levelling Up funding rounds 1 and 2 on local authorities' (a) financial costs, (b) resources and (c) workforce.

Jacob Young: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 7203 on 21 December 2023.

Freehold: Service Charges

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to reduce estate management fees.

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to provide a resolution mechanism for new build freeholders who dispute their estate management charge.

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to create a statutory right to manage for freehold estates.

Lee Rowley: The Government wants to make estate management companies more accountable to homeowners for how their money is spent.The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will make sure that homeowners who pay estate management charges have the right to challenge their reasonableness and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager to manage the provision of services.In addition, we will make sure that homeowners have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for and how the communal areas are being managed.

Levelling Up Fund

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2023 to Question 7031 on Levelling Up Fund: Easington, whether his Department collects information on the (a) effectiveness of and (b) impact of levelling up funding on a constituency basis.

Jacob Young: Funding for levelling up is generally delivered through local authorities, with outcome data therefore collected at a local authority level.

Neighbourhood Plans

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of simplifying neighbourhood plans.

Lee Rowley: Neighbourhood planning is an effective tool that enables a community to shape development in its areas to meet local needs. Through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act we are introducing neighbourhood priorities statements which will provide communities with another way to set priorities and shape development in their local areas.

Council Housing: Construction

Dame Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many new houses were built in each local authority in each of the last 30 years.

Dame Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which local authority areas have built homes for more than 100,000 people in the last 30 years.

Lee Rowley: The department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply, with estimates of new homes delivered in each local authority, in each financial year since 2001-02, shown in Live Table 122 at the following link.For earlier years, the department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build completions, by local authority, in each financial year since 1980-81, shown in Live Table 253 at the following link.Estimates of the number of houses completed by are not centrally collected by the department. However, approximately half of the data used to produce the house building statistics are supplied by the National House-Building Council. These data contain additional detail on the size and type of new homes being completed and can be used to provide annual estimates of the proportion of new build dwellings that are houses as opposed to flats. Annual estimates of the proportion of building control reported new build dwelling completions, in England that are purpose built houses, are shown in Live Table 254, at the following link.Estimates of the number of local authority areas that have built homes for more than 100,000 people in the last 30 years are not centrally collected by the department.

Planning

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish a list of the local authorities he has issued a direction to publish a plan timetable within 12 weeks of the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish the designation thresholds for local authorities' planning decision making performance.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon Member to the written statement of 19th December 2023 The Next Stage in Our Long Term Plan for Housing Update (HCWS161).The designation thresholds for local authority planning decision making performance are set out in the Criteria for Designation which was published on 19th October 2022 and is available to view at the following link.

Housing: Construction

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of homes that have been built in areas deemed to be at high risk of flooding from (a) rivers and (b) the sea since 2019.

Lee Rowley: The department publishes estimates of the proportion of new residential addresses created in areas at Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea, as well as for other designations of interest, in the Land use change statistics series, on Gov.uk at the following link.In particular, Live Table P320 includes estimates of the proportion of new residential addresses created within areas at Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea for each year from 2013-14 to 2021-22. Separate figures for areas at risk of flooding from rivers and areas at risk of flooding from the sea are not available.

Floods: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of town centre redevelopment on flooding in Shrewsbury.

Lee Rowley: Works to Smithfield Riverside, Station and Northern Corridor do need to consider issues of surface water management and flooding being located close to the River Severn and is an ongoing observation many consultees make. As a proactive response, and to help mitigate these concerns Shropshire Council is working with the Environment Agency alongside other local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and water companies through the River Severn Partnership.The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that all sources of flood risk need to be considered, including future flood risk, to ensure that any new development is safe for its lifetime without increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere.

New Homes Ombudsman

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the (a) Welsh and (b) Scottish devolved administrations on the (i) establishment and (ii) operation of the New Homes Ombudsman scheme.

Lee Rowley: Ministers and officials have regular engagement with the devolved administrations on a range of issues.

Freehold: Service Charges

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward legislation to ban estate maintenance charges for new build freehold homes.

Lee Rowley: The Government wants to make estate management companies more accountable to homeowners for how their money is spent. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will make sure that homeowners who pay estate management charges have the right to challenge their reasonableness and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager to manage the provision of services.

Women and Equalities

Public Sector: Equality

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department received (a) legal and (b) other advice from relevant stakeholders prior to the publication of the updated guidance entitled Public Sector Equality Duty: guidance for public authorities, published on 18 December 2023.

Stuart Andrew: As with all guidance published by the Equality Hub, we engaged with legal advisors and key stakeholders to ensure the Public Sector Equality Duty guidance for public authorities was fit for purpose.

Department for Work and Pensions

Chemicals: Regulation

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance the Health and Safety Executive uses when (a) preparing dossiers on restrictions under UK REACH and (b) preparing impact assessments for enacting restrictions in secondary legislation.

Paul Maynard: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) must prepare dossiers on restrictions in line with the legal requirements of Annex 15 of UK REACH. In doing so HSE may also refer to guidance produced for the EU REACH restriction process, as well as drawing on its previous experience of producing dossiers when the UK was part of the EU. The responsibility for preparing impact assessments for enacting restrictions in secondary legislation resides with Defra as the government department responsible for UK REACH legislation and policy. HSE provides Defra with a socioeconomic analysis alongside any restriction dossier. Restrictions proposals need to contain a description of the risks as well as information on the health and environmental benefits, the associated costs and other socio-economic impacts. This socioeconomic analysis takes account of UK REACH Annex 15 legal requirements and HM Treasury guidance on cost and benefit analysis.

Household Support Fund

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the Household Support Fund on low-income households.

Jo Churchill: No such assessment has been made.

Health and Safety

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on the potential merits of enabling employers to report to the HSE (a) drug and (b) alcohol misuse as a contributing factor in a reportable incident.

Paul Maynard: The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) are made under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and apply to all sectors and workplaces in Great Britain. RIDDOR requires responsible persons (usually employers in relation to employees) to report work-related fatalities and certain injuries, dangerous occurrences, and cases of disease. Reporting requirements are based on the outcome of incidents. RIDDOR does not require the reporting of immediate or underlying causes, such as whether the use of drugs or alcohol were a contributing factor in a particular incident. Causation of an incident will not necessarily be apparent during the statutory timeframe in which a dutyholder is required to report; that information generally only becomes evident during an investigation, either by the dutyholder or the regulator. Even if such information were required as part of the reporting process, it would be difficult to reliably establish direct causation on a case-by-case basis. Having this information reported would be of limited value to the regulator and disproportionate for the responsible person to ascertain.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ethiopia: Prisoners

Patrick Grady: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Ethiopia on the treatment of prisoners from the Amhara community in the Awash Arba military camp.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We regularly raise human rights issues in our interactions with Ethiopian interlocutors. In August, the UK's ambassador to Ethiopia met with the Regional President of Amhara and highlighted the need to ensure the protection of civilians and meaningful dialogue to end hostilities. The Foreign Secretary also spoke with his counterpart in December when he raised the conflict in Amhara.

Israel: British Nationals Abroad

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many British nationals are held in Israeli military detention.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: No British Nationals are currently detained in Israeli prisons, including security prisoners.

West Bank: British Nationals Abroad

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2023 to Question 7142 on West Bank: British Nationals Abroad, whether UK nationals found to have been involved in settler violence in the West Bank will have their citizenship revoked.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are not in a position to comment on individual cases, including cases involving British Nationals. We have urged Israel to take stronger action to stop settler violence against Palestinian civilians and to hold the perpetrators accountable. As the Foreign Secretary said on 14 December, we are banning those responsible for settler violence from entering the UK, to make sure our country cannot be a home for people who commit these acts. This involves making use of existing disruptive immigration measures at our disposal.

Israel: Palestinians

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2023 to Question 7141 on Israel: Palestinians, what measures his Department plans to use in cases in which UK citizens are believed to be responsible for settler violence.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are not in a position to comment on individual cases, including cases involving British Nationals. We have urged Israel to take stronger action to stop settler violence against Palestinian civilians and to hold the perpetrators accountable. As the Foreign Secretary said on 14 December, we are banning those responsible for settler violence from entering the UK, to make sure our country cannot be a home for people who commit these acts. This involves making use of existing disruptive immigration measures at our disposal.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Apsana Begum: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) civilians, (b) women and (c) children that have been killed in Sudan since April 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Humanitarian organisations estimate that over 12,000 people have been killed and over 32,000 people have been injured since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan on 15 April 2023. This is likely to be an underestimate, due to considerable access constraints for humanitarian organisations, which makes accurate casualty reporting challenging. The UK continues to work with Quad countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, US, UK), regional partners, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN to bring the warring parties together and secure an end to hostilities and unfettered humanitarian access.

Israel: Palestinians

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made representations to the Israeli authorities on the (a) shelling of the maternity department at Nasser Hospital on 17 December 2023, (b) detention of healthcare staff from Kamal Adwan hospital on 13 December 2023 and (c) International Committee of the Red Cross access to those detained.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are aware of reports of attacks against healthcare facilities and infrastructure. Healthcare workers, emergency services personnel, civilian buildings including hospitals and medical facilities that are not used for military purposes must not be targeted. We support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, but Israel must protect civilians in Gaza and comply with International Humanitarian Law. We are aware of reports over Israeli detention practices. We are particularly concerned over reports about Israel's extensive use of administrative detention, which should be used only where it is justified in accordance with international law. Those under detention should either be charged or released. The UK is committed to working with Israel to secure improvements in its detention practices and repeatedly calls on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law. The safety of humanitarian personnel and healthcare workers in Gaza is critical to enable aid to reach those who need it most. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary continue to make this clear in engagements with their Israeli counterparts.

Food and Agriculture Organization

Liz Twist: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, who will represent the UK at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Inter Governmental Group meeting on Tea taking place between 31 January and 2 February 2024 in India; and what their remit will be.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK representatives at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Intergovernmental Group meeting on Tea will be Dr Sharon Hall, Chief Executive of the UK Tea & Infusions Association and Dr Katie Donnelly of Tata Consumer Products. The representatives' remit is to engage in the Group's meeting to discuss issues related to tea, supporting the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with ongoing market appraisal and wider analysis of trends in the production, consumption, trade and prices of tea.

Wales Office

Welsh Language

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps the Government is taking to protect the Welsh language.

David T C Davies: The Welsh language is a devolved subject and the responsibility of Senedd Cymru / the Welsh Parliament and the Welsh Government. However, the UK Government is committed to supporting the promotion and use of the Welsh language, including the Welsh Government’s ambition for one million Welsh speakers by 2050. As the UK’s major Welsh language broadcaster, S4C has played a unique and critical role in promoting the Welsh language and is a vital partner for UK Government. The UK Government’s commitment to promoting the Welsh language is reflected in S4C’s licence fee settlement, announced in January 2022; this provides a very strong settlement, with S4C initially receiving £88.8 million p.a. from April 2022, rising in line with inflation from April 2024. It also includes an additional £7.5 million p.a. to support S4C’s digital development, ensuring S4C’s offering remains sustainable in the digital age. Overall, this settlement delivers a 9% increase in funding for S4C. Furthermore, as a fluent Welsh speaker and champion for the Welsh language, I personally take every opportunity to promote the language and communicate bilingually in my role. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, as the lead department in UK Government for the Welsh language, works with other government departments to improve Welsh language provision, most notably through the official-level, cross-Government Welsh Language Forum.

Treasury

Welfare Tax Credits

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit recipients there were in December 2023.

Nigel Huddleston: Statistics for families in receipt of tax credits as of April 23 are available at the link below: Child and Working Tax Credits statistics: Provisional Awards April 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Figures for December 2023 are due to be released in February and will form part of the Child and Working Tax Credits statistics: Provisional Awards, December 2023 accredited official statistics publication.

Duty Free Allowances

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of rules on duty-free shopping on demand for flights (a) to and (b) from EU destinations at airports in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) the rest of the UK.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government remains committed to supporting the travel and tourism industries. As part of our support for the aviation industry, the Government regularly reviews flight data and considers it as part of policy making. From 1st January 2021, British passengers travelling to EU countries have been able to take advantage of duty-free shopping, bringing our approach to the EU in line with the rest of the world. Inbound personal allowances were also substantially increased. The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the tax policy making cycle and Budget process.

Royal Mint: Fraud

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 5 September 2023 to Question 197760 on Royal Mint: Fraud, what information his Department holds on whether the investigation by law enforcement agencies into fraudulent transactions made on the Royal Mint website since 2022 has concluded.

Bim Afolami: The investigation by law enforcement agencies into an external fraud incident impacting the Royal Mint website remains ongoing. Therefore, I am unable to provide further detail at this time. The incident did not impact Royal Mint customers details and there was no risk to customer data.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Financial Ombudsman Service on the threshold for exceptional circumstances when considering cases after the six month time limit.

Bim Afolami: The Financial Ombudsman Services (FOS) is an independent public body set up by Parliament to resolve complaints between financial services firms and their customers. The rules on how the FOS should handle complaints, including time limits, are determined by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and set out in the FCA Handbook. The FCA rules state that the FOS cannot consider a complaint if the complainant refers it to the FOS more than six months after the complainant has received a final response letter from the firm who is subject to the complaint, unless the failure to raise a complaint within the time limit was a result of exceptional circumstances. Decisions on whether a particular situation constitutes exceptional circumstances are made by the FOS on a case-by-case basis, but may include where a period of serious ill health has prevented a complaint from being made. The FOS provides a number of case studies on its website, illustrating circumstances in which a consumer's failure to complain within the six month time limit was (or was not) considered to be as a result of exceptional circumstances. This can be found at the following address: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers/expect/time-limits

Childcare: Tax Allowances

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was paid to recipients of tax free childcare (a) in total and (b) on average in each financial year since 2017-18.

Laura Trott: Statistics relating to Tax-Free Childcare account use are published quarterly in “Tax-Free Childcare Statistics” on the gov.uk website. The latest publication, containing information up to September 2023 is here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-free-childcare-quarterly-statistics

Childcare: Suffolk Coastal

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people receive tax free childcare in Suffolk Coastal constituency.

Laura Trott: Statistics relating to Tax-Free Childcare account use are published quarterly in “Tax-Free Childcare Statistics” on the gov.uk website. The latest publication, containing information up to September 2023 is here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-free-childcare-quarterly-statistics

Offshore Industry: Tax Allowances

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total annual rates of decommissioning tax relief from corporation tax were in each financial year between 2013-14 and 2022-23.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claimants of decommissioning tax relief from corporation tax there were in each financial year between 2013-14 and 2022-23.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the number of claimants of decommissioning expenditure tax relief from the Petroleum Revenue Tax in each financial year from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

Gareth Davies: Estimates of the cost of tax reliefs used by oil and gas companies under the Ring Fence Corporation Tax (RFCT) and Petroleum Revenue Tax (PRT) regimes, including the costs of RFCT and PRT decommissioning tax reliefs, are published at tax relief statistics gov.uk (www.gov.uk). This publication contains non-disclosive estimates of number of claimants for each relief, where relevant data are available. A succinct summary of the UK’s ring fence oil and gas tax regime, including the relief available for decommissioning-related losses, is available on the relevant EITI website.

Department for Transport

Logistics: Automation

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the impact of automation on entry-level (a) fork-lift truck drivers, (b) elementary storage occupations and (c) other logistics workers.

Guy Opperman: The ‘Future of Freight: A long-term plan’ sets out a cross-modal approach to a freight and logistics sector that is cost efficient, reliable, resilient, environmentally sustainable and valued by society. Priorities in the plan include investing in innovation while also supporting a diverse range of people to pursue careers in the sector. We have established a People and Skills Delivery Group, bringing together government and industry, to address key barriers to recruitment and retention in the sector. Through this group, we will be assessing what technological advancements we can expect to see in the sector and what training provision will be required to retain and upskill the workforce, as well as how technology can be utilised to improve accessibility to the workforce.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department plans to provide to repair potholes on public highways in Bournemouth East constituency in the next 12 months.

Guy Opperman: The Bournemouth East constituency is in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council local authority area. The next twelve months straddle two financial years, and details for each financial year are set out in the table below. In total over these two financial years the Government is providing around £11.6 million to BCP Council towards the maintenance of the local highway network in their area. Table 1: funding allocations for Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council Highways Maintenance Block (HMB)Potholes Fund Budget 2023 UpliftUplift arising from HS2 Euston savingsTotal2023/242,659,0002,127,000850,800604,000£6,240,8002024/252,659,0002,127,000n/a604,000£5,390,000 The funding increases announced in Budget 2023 and as part of the Network North programme mean that in 2023/24 BCP is receiving around 30% more than it was in 2022/23. Funding allocations can be found on gov.uk.

Roads: Investment

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the public consultation on National Highways' Strategic Road Network Initial Report for Road Investment Strategy 3.

Guy Opperman: We anticipate the Draft Road Investment Strategy will be published shortly alongside the summary of responses to our consultation on National Highways strategic road network Initial Report. I would like to thank you and your constituents for your contribution to the consultation in relation to improvements to the A1. I will ensure you are notified alongside other interested parties when the documents are published.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the use of low traffic neighbourhood zones by local authorities.

Guy Opperman: The Government’s review of low-traffic neighbourhoods is underway and due to report shortly. Once it is complete, the Department will consider its conclusions and recommendations, and further announcements about actions and next steps will be made in due course.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Offices

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the office occupancy rates for the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority head office in Swansea.

Guy Opperman: During November 2023, the occupancy rate for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency main site in Swansea was 61%.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2023 to Question 5413 on Motor Vehicles: Insurance, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with insurance companies on this matter.

Guy Opperman: Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance. It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2023 to Question 5413 on Motor Vehicles: Insurance, if he will make an assessment of the impact of increases in the cost of insurance on (a) elderly people and (b) people in other age groups.

Guy Opperman: It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority rules.

Roads: Accidents

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number of road casualty deaths and serious injuries in each core city.

Guy Opperman: The Department holds data on personal injury road collisions which are reported by police forces in Great Britain.Precise collision location (based on one metre Ordnance Survey grid reference) is recorded so that data can be analysed for different geographies, including core cities. Data for all collisions are published on data.gov.uk: https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/cb7ae6f0-4be6-4935-9277-47e5ce24a11f/road-safety-data

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Biofuels

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has a strategy for second generation biofuels.

Andrew Bowie: The UK Government published the Biomass Strategy on 10th August 2023. The Strategy covers the role that biomass, including second generation biofuels, can play in meeting the UK Government’s net zero target.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will have discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) industry representatives on the planned availability of heavy-lift vessels for work in the North Sea (i) oil and gas decommissioning and (ii) offshore wind sectors in each year to 2030.

Graham Stuart: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State discusses a range of issues with my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, including offshore wind, and oil and gas. My Hon Friend the Minister for Nuclear and Renewables (Andrew Bowie) will meet with the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) on a regular basis to discuss sector issues such as supply chain strategy and the Industrial Growth Plan. In addition, I meet regularly with the oil and gas sector, including through the North Sea Transition Forum, which includes industry stakeholders from the supply chain.

Offshore Industry: Decommissioning

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much the oil and gas industry’s annual expenditure on decommissioning was in each financial year between 2013-14 and 2022-23.

Graham Stuart: The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) publishes estimates for the upstream oil and gas industry’s annual expenditure on decommissioning by calendar year up to 2022 on its website. The information can be found here: https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/data-and-insights/insights-and-analysis/income-and-expenditure/

Energy: Housing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department plans to take to (a) help support fuel poor homes to have an EPC rating of C or higher by 2030 and (b) incentivise landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, in the context of the Government's commitment to scrap policies to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties as outlined in the press notice entitled PM recommits UK to Net Zero by 2050 and pledges a “fairer” path to achieving target to ease the financial burden on British families, published on 20 September 2023.

Amanda Solloway: We see energy efficiency as the best way to tackle fuel poverty, contributing to the long-term reduction of energy bills and carbon emissions in line with Net Zero. Multiple targeted schemes are in place to deliver measures to fuel poor households including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4). The government is also reviewing the fuel poverty strategy. We are spending £6bn this Parliament and a further £6bn to 2028 on making buildings, including private rented properties, cleaner and warmer. That is in addition to the estimated £5bn that will be delivered through ECO4 and the GB Insulation Scheme up to March 2026.

North Sea Oil: Shetland

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Answer of 25 October 2023 to Question 203474 on North Sea Oil: Shetland, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the development of Rosebank oil field on the extent to which the UK will meet the North Sea Transition Deal emissions reduction targets.

Graham Stuart: Further development of oil and gas fields on the UK Continental Shelf is compatible with delivering net zero, and the expected emissions from future projects are factored into the UK’s carbon budgets. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) sets out how new fields are aligned with the North Sea Transition Deal emissions reduction target in its annual Emissions Monitoring Report. Rosebank is expected to be significantly less emissions intensive than the current average of producing assets, due to greater operational efficiencies and emissions mitigations measures. It will be electrification-ready, with Equinor expecting emissions to fall to 3kgCO2 per barrel if electrification proceeds.

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme: Asbestos

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Government's planned expenditure on buildings decarbonisation between 2022 and 2025, whether (a) schools and (b) hospitals are able to use their allocated share of that funding on the removal of asbestos while installing replacement heating equipment.

Amanda Solloway: The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures. Removal of asbestos may be considered an eligible ‘enabling cost’ provided the asbestos survey or removal is directly linked to measures that are part of the approved programme of works. Applicants should consult the guidance published by Salix Finance, who deliver the scheme, for the full eligibility criteria.

Insulation: Housing

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding a programme of free home insulation; and if she will have discussions with councils on introducing such a programme nationwide.

Amanda Solloway: The Government launched the Great British Insulation Scheme in July 2023, supporting the delivery of low-cost insulation measures, and is expected to help some 300,000 households, requiring little or no contribution. This complements the Energy Company Obligation scheme, which has been one of the Government’s key domestic energy policies since it launched in 2013. It is estimated that a combined £5bn will be spent under both schemes, up to March 2026. The flexible eligibility element of both schemes allows local authorities to set out local eligibility criteria. The Department consistently engages with local authorities to improve uptake and remove barriers.

Energy: Standing Charges

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofgem on reducing standing charges.

Amanda Solloway: Minsters and Officials have regular meetings with Ofgem to discuss a wide range of issues, including standing charges. Ofgem is currently seeking views on standing charges as the first stage of engaging in a debate on whether changes are required. Further information is available at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/standing-charges-call-input.

Northern Ireland Office

Firearms: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had recent discussions with the PSNI on the time taken to issue firearms licenses in Northern Ireland.

Mr Steve Baker: The issuing of firearms licences is a devolved matter overseen by the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State has a limited role relating to certain appeals against the decision of the Chief Constable not to issue firearms licences. He has not been involved in any recent discussions with the PSNI on this issue, however, Northern Ireland Office officials engage with PSNI colleagues on a regular basis. The Hon Member will know that Northern Ireland Office ministers are not an alternative to functioning devolved government and I hope he will use his considerable influence to promote the restoration of a Northern Ireland Executive so that matters such as this may be dealt with in the proper manner.

Education: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) Northern Ireland's Department of Education on the potential funding implications of the Independent Review of Education in Northern Ireland, published on 13 December 2023.

Mr Steve Baker: The Government welcomes the publication of this long-awaited report, which delivers on a commitment agreed to in the New Decade, New Approach Agreement. We will take time to consider the findings of the report, however, we are clear that education, its funding and any potential transformation or reform of education in Northern Ireland are matters that a restored Northern Ireland Executive should be gripping.